Built in 1898, this true Beaux Arts belle is as magnificent in her architectural details as in her gilded era history. It’s not every day we’re asked to add our Tribeca interior design vision within McKim, Mead & White’s original, so jumping at the chance puts it mildly. Our client wanted a pied-a-terre, one that would let her spend more time in the city. Us? We wanted (and loved) the chance to address two challenges: 1. How to combine Beaux Art with Modern Tribeca, and 2. How to design enormous function + beauty into a small space—the age old NYC apartment dilemma, this time within an ages-old, but newly “white boxed” NYC apartment interior design. Looking right outside we found our inspiration--the original patinated dome atop the roof. Inside the great room, we faux painted the tray ceiling a brilliant turquoise that turns copper depending on the angle at which you’re viewing it, that mimics the beauty and natural patina of the original copper dome. We next assigned two words to serve as our guiding interior design principles: drama and detail. A dramatic hallway draws you in with its hand painted trompe l'oeil. Part dreamscape, part landscape, it’s moody and luscious and took a tight, dark space from claustrophobic to a dreamy fantasyland. More drama is found in the powder room, where the decorative paint finish we created moves from bronze to red. With walls that have a subtle sparkle,...

“I want no white walls.” With those five words, KCD had its Tudor home interior design directive and began the process of gathering ideas + inspiration. Since we’re known as the go-to interior designers for color and pattern, those words also served as confirmation that we and our client were perfectly in synch. With that, a happy collaboration took off in this “Millennial Gothic” home, a modern take on the house’s original Tudor interior design style. Built in 1939, the 4500 square foot house was landmarked, meaning: no changes could be made to the front façade. But we could change the back…and we did. It was essential to bringing light and life into the dark spaces, which, following a 1980s remodel, left the home with little of its original character. We designed the interiors to feel like they’d been there forever and working closely with ART architects, modernized the spaces to create and interior design for a young family of four to live and grow. Everything radiated from the home’s double height entryway we nicknamed “the knuckle,” and so it’s where we started our color story. Asking the question: “What color should this entrance be,” and hearing the answer…teal…inspired our color (and pattern) progression as all the rooms radiate from this central point. The Boston interior design evolved to a balanced mix of scale, proportion and color; when we were done, harmony reigned, and beauty flourished. (Schumacher’s Citrus Garden, complete...

Tribeca Interior Designer, Kati Curtis Design, completely renovated the interior from top to bottom to accommodate their transition not only from Canada to the US, but also from suburban to city life as they downsized from a large home in the Toronto suburbs. They wanted the details and comfort of their traditional home in Canada, with an environment conducive to their new lifestyle. The original apartment entry had low ceilings and no storage at all. We wanted to create a sequence of discovery by designing a cerused oak built-in with a coat closet clad in antiqued mirror. First, adjustable shelves house finds from the clients’ vast travels. Then, grasscloth wallpaper in alternating patterns give the walls texture. Looking up, the ceiling is covered in mica flakes adding reflective sparkle from the Remains Lighting flush mounted fixtures. Continuing down, custom rugs add just the right amount of softness and pattern. Finally, an upholstered bench provides a perch for putting on shoes. As you pass through the dark, moody entry, the living area opens up with high ceilings, natural light and an open, airiness. The apartment was delivered to the clients as a “white box”. It was our job as their Tribeca Interior Designer to deliver the same level of craft and detail from their suburban home. We designed the plaster honeycombed ceiling adding another level of architectural interest, while maintaining a contemporary, city feel. The silk hand painted wallpaper adds a...

Colorful Rye Interior Design, as seen in Luxe Magazine.A bright house in the suburbs with a rye interior design is the dream house for many. Although it is too cliché, the New York designer Kati Curtis was able to rethink it and give the traditional design a fresh turn.When the young couple approached Kati Curtis for their dream rye interior design, Curtis knew she had to make the house as lively as the couple was. So to create their forever home, she decided to create a comfortable space where the couple and their heirs would sit near the Moroccan tiles, linger among the floral wallpapers and enjoy the edgy contemporary art. The house was to be a mixture of old and new: a traditional approach spiced up with a young, fun, and modern vibe. As the couple wanted modern elements but did not wish the house to feel too contemporary, Curtis's decision was clear. "I told them we could mix old and new seamlessly, and it would only add more character." And that's precisely what Curtis did. Right from the start, you get the taste of what is to come by entering the double-height entrance hall. So don't be surprised by the Georgian-style commode you see against the gleaming blue; the husband's late grandfather was a collector, and this is his signature.The antique commode follows the trendy bulbs that hand from the contemporary lamp along with the turquoise artwork. As Curtis explains:...

The client: NYC Interior Designer Kati Curtis herself. The building: a sleek high rise on Billionaire’s Row in Manhattan. High up enough to view the Hudson’s boats going by and weather coming in. An apartment that seemingly has it all. Unless your preferences lean towards Manhattan’s fabled Pre-War buildings with their intricate moldings and gorgeous detailing, as Kati’s do. Yet the desire to live in the clouds took precedence and Kati challenged herself: inject the spirit of a pre-war into a modern contemporary. Starting with color. An interior design palette influenced by view and the urban landscape: sky, skyline and surrounding brick buildings. In the living room, Kati’s vintage sofa is covered in (a cat-proof) terracotta velvet that reflects the terracotta of the brick of the neighboring buildings, as well as the hues of the stunning sunsets. Moving to rugs. Vintage rugs are heirloom-quality, high-durable, and insanely beautiful. Each comes from Kati’s travels and serve as memory evokers. The dark blue second bedroom contains a find from a trip to Morocco. Its color and pattern are unrestrained, yet its materiality-- the softest wool--is so very refined. In the living room interior design, amidst the traditional rugs, Kati encountered a new challenge: the need to balance them with contemporary elements. The beautiful forms of two Poul Kjærholm chairs gave her the solution. Perfect in size and in the way they tuck in cleanly next to the hammered metal chest. (Another find,...

A little bit edgy, a little bit refined; a little bit rock ‘n roll, a little bit cotillion. That’s how to describe one of KCD’s longest-time clients. So when she came back to us because she was moving back into Manhattan after forsaking us (or was it the city?) for years, we were thrilled. Yes, in part because she is amazing, yes, in part because who doesn’t love a Springsteen lover, and yes, in part because she gave us a dream interior design opportunity! Welcome to St. Marks Place, an iconic street in Manhattan known for poets, politics, and creatives, and to a building that had, for years, been home to doctors’ offices on the ground floor. What could we do but gut the entire space, then transform it into a moody + colorful sanctuary? Instead of trying to fight the darker qualities of the townhouse interiors, we embraced our client’s directive to create “a cozy and warm home” and set out to enliven every space. Gorgeous jewel tones helped us do that, so did using textural wallcoverings throughout the main living areas. Further helping to fulfill her wishes: velvet mohair on one blue sofa, and an exuberant contemporary print from Anthony George on the other. Putting a St. Marks Place vibe (did we mention that antique shops once proliferated on the street, too?) into a collected feel for this home was critical. In the living room, it meant using...

Colorful Interior Design, New York City Pied a Terre As seen in Luxe Magazine As seen on Open House TV For New York Interior designer Kati Curtis, trust was paramount as she helped her clients realize an NYC design dream they had first conjured up decades ago. Back then, as newlyweds living in a beach apartment at the foot of the Andes Mountains, they imagined an apartment in New York City located close to the Museum of Natural History. Fast forward some 25 years, and, after securing a place in a new-construction building–sight unseen–they were ready to move ahead. After finding Curtis online, and meeting her just once, they entrusted the designer with the job. “That’s what made it special,” she says. “They told me, ‘We know your style, we know what you do, and we know you’re going to do something wonderful for us.’ It was such a gift.” So complete was the homeowners’ faith in Curtis that they expressed only a few wishes. In South America, their home was traditional with heavy draperies, fabrics and trims, and the wife had presented Curtis with samples from a trip to the D&D Building that leaned in that direction. “She wanted to express that depth and quality and detail,” says Curtis. “Our job was to do that in a New York-modern way.” Achieving that required laying the right foundation, since, says the designer, “New construction apartments can be cold and gray. The standard finishes...

New Jersey Interior Designers featured in Luxe Magazine A young family swore they’d never leave New York City after New Jersey interior designers Kati Curtis Design renovated their New York City apartment. Until...a pandemic, a few years and two children later. Where...on the Jersey shore they found their dream home. And....once again, called Kati Curtis Design. KCD quickly mobilized. In only 9 months, the tired and dreary 1990's Arts and Crafts home was resurrected into a remarkable and revitalized tour de force. With sensitivity to the architecture of the home, KCD's team of New Jersey interior designers seamlessly mixed the family's contemporary lifestyle with classic details: dark wood floors were lightened, as was the outdated dark woodwork. Furniture choices supported all-season living, and coming from Manhattan, open space was a paramount importance (of course!). KCD’s design allows for large family gatherings and parties on the main floor, while a playroom on the 2nd floor gives the children a wide-open play space all their own. Leaving Manhattan for a home on a private beach, with unobstructed views of the Navesink River, was (fairly) easy; KCD’s design, which captured the spirit of this family in this beautiful home, made it possible. Leaving the City for the suburbs was a hard decision for this family, but KCD incorporated all of the conveniences of City living into the design of the home.  A home office, home gym and yoga room, separated playroom and outdoor...

Townhouse interior design featured in Architectural Digest A young couple had a growing family and with it came growing needs- including a townhouse interior design. And so they hired KCD. We listened, we understood, and then we started designing. We created a home– European in flavor and sensibility, yet, cleanly and minimally modern. And because the client are avid art collectors, we approached the project as “designer as curator.” Meaning? We curated the interiors as we would curate a collection, designing a “home as gallery space.” The result? A design perfectly crafted to showcase the family’s taste, as well as their appreciation of culture and beauty We paid attention to every possible detail. Light switches and plugs were made completely flush to the wall to avoid distraction. Our clients wanted a space that was warm and live-able, but still focused on the beauty of the art and gallery like design. The kids rooms were the perfect spot to incorporate a bit more whimsy and color. Although our clients were avid collectors, we were able to find them some really special pieces to add to the girls' rooms that they had never seen before. The rest of the house remained refined yet charming with accents of eccentric pieces, such as the infamous Johannes Albers giant pens as seen in the dining room.

NYC Townhouse Interior Design featured in the Wall Street Journal So when the client called Kati Curtis Design about working on the top two floors of the townhouse, we jumped at the chance to work on this NYC townhouse interior design. The client’s main residence is Palm Springs, CA where they live in a very modern home:  clean lines, light and glass, but here, in their city dwelling, they wanted warm, cozy, and comfortable. Considering our fondness (alright, passion) for contrasts, we loved hearing this. Over the course of the project we made two observations: 1) people really liked their doors back in 1899, and, 2) they also had different proportions then; the combination added interesting challenges to our process. One way we dealt with it was by designing a custom sofa to fit perfectly between the older proportioned (aka: smaller) spaces between the doors (well, two of them.) We wanted to reflect the vintage era of the townhouse, and at the same time acknowledge the hip and modern nature of this couple; we decided on “vintage with a twist.” One way we expressed this was through the wallpaper, by Timorous Beasties, in the dining room; it captures the Victorian feel of the home but with the most modern pattern. Another wallpaper, this one in “the family room,” looks like a sweet Victorian pattern…from afar. Upon closer inspection something far less benign is revealed: a pattern of evil-looking moths. The...